Aftershock kills two people, injures 140 in Malatya

MALATYA

At least two people have lost their lives and another 140 were injured in a 5.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the eastern province of Malatya, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has stated.

In Malatya, where many buildings were severely damaged due to the deadly Feb. 6 quakes and strong tremors on Feb. 20, another 31 buildings collapsed.

A person lost his life on Feb. 27 as he entered a damaged factory to save some items in another quake-hit province of Kahramanmaraş.

On Feb. 28, search and rescue teams reached the body of 29-year-old Bedih Kış under the rubble.

AFAD stated that rescuers completed efforts at seven sites and have saved 32 people from the debris so far.

Some 140 people who were around damaged buildings or entered their homes to remove their belongings during the quake were injured, while it was reported that 12 of them were in serious condition.

The agency announced on Feb. 28 that it recorded another 4.1 magnitude tremor in Malatya at 5:18 a.m.

The latest tremors came three weeks after the Feb. 6 quakes in which at least 44,374 people lost their lives.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes, centered in Kahramanmaras, have impacted some 13 million people across the country’s 11 provinces, including Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazığ, and Şanlıurfa.

The major quakes caused loss of life and severe destruction in Syria.

Approximately 10,000 aftershocks have occurred in the quake region since the first major quake, AFAD head Yunus Sezer said.

Number of detainees rises to 203

Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing into the buildings that collapsed in the quake zone or on which changes were made against the zoning regulation.

In this context, 203 of the 797 suspects were arrested, while 275 others were released after judicial control.

Arrest warrants were issued for 152 people, and detention orders were issued for 67 suspects.

The proceedings of the four people in custody are ongoing, while there are five people who were found to be abroad, 19 people who were found to be dead, and 67 people who were released after their statements in prosecutor’s offices.

As part of the investigations into the theft that took place in the region after the earthquakes, 312 suspects were identified related to 383 incidents.

Some 201 of these suspects were arrested, and judicial control was ordered against 37 people.